Disability as a test of justice in a globalising world

Abstract

This paper shows how most modern theories of justice could require or at least condone international aid aimed at alleviating the ill effects of disability. Seen from the general viewpoint of liberal egalitarianism, this is moderately encouraging, since according to the creed people in bad positions should be aided, and disability tends to put people in such positions. The actual responses of many theories, including John Rawls's famous view of justice, remain, however, unclear. Communitarian, liberal egalitarian, and luck egalitarian thinkers alike have to consider their attitude towards cosmopolitan ideals before they can extend their theories across national borders. The only view of justice that automatically rejects the obligation of international aid based on disability is libertarianism. This is significant for two reasons. Libertarianism is arguably the economic doctrine of globalisation; and its moral appeal to voluntary charity draws attention to the foundations of voluntary corporate social responsibility. Is the latter a prompt for greater or lesser social and political responsibility in global matters?

Keywords:

• cosmopolitan
• egalitarian
• disability
• justice
• globalisation
• river blindness

Notes on contributors

Matti Häyry is Professor of Philosophy of Management at Aalto University School of Business in Helsinki, Finland. During 2004–2013, he was Professor of Bioethics and Philosophy of Law at the University of Manchester in England. He was also the President of the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) during 2007–2009. He is currently studying the nature of bioethics; the ethical issues of synthetic biology; and justice and its alternatives in a globalising world.

Simo Vehmas is Professor of Disability Studies at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and the President of the Nordic Network on Disability Research (NNDR). His training is in both special education and philosophy, and he has written widely on theoretical and ethical issues related to disability.

ORCID

Matti Häyry http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4276-4757